Patient capital and industry-academia collaboration will be key to turning deep-tech momentum into global scale
National, June 16, 2026: As India’s deep-tech ecosystem seeks stronger global capital, market
access and institutional partnerships, Bertelsmann India Investments’ Managing Director
Pankaj Makkar joined Bharat Innovates 2026 in Nice, France, as part of a high-level platform
showcasing India’s technology-led startups to global investors, corporates and innovation leaders.
The event was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, and the
President of the French Republic, H.E. Emmanuel Macron. With more than 120 Indian deep-
tech startups presenting to investors and industry leaders from across Europe, Bharat Innovates
2026 was a significant moment for India’s innovation ecosystem.
Notably, Pankaj Makkar had the privilege of serving as Chairman of the Core Advisory
Committee at Bharat Innovates alongside eminent investors and industry veterans, including
Anjali Bansal (Avaana Capital), Gaurav Deepak (Avendus Capital), Prashanth Prakash
(Accel), Rajan Anandan (Peak XV Partners), Karthik Reddy (Blume), Ashutosh Sharma
(Prosus), and Sanjeev Bikhchandani (Infoedge), reflecting his wider engagement with the
platform beyond his participation as a speaker. His role comes at a time when India’s deep-tech
ecosystem is moving from early visibility to global relevance, with startups increasingly building in
areas such as AI, advanced computing, semiconductors, healthcare, mobility, energy, advanced
manufacturing, space and defence.
At the event, Pankaj joined the panel discussion titled “Fireside Reflections: Two Days of Deep-
Tech at Bharat Innovates.” Moderated by Mr. Gaurav Deepak, Co-founder and CEO, Avendus
Capital, the panel brought together Ms. Yoko Fukata, Head of India, Sony Innovation Fund; Mr.
Suneel Bakhshi, Deputy Group CEO, Mizuho Financial Group; and other global investors and
industry leaders to discuss the future of India’s deep-tech ecosystem.
Speaking at the panel, Pankaj said, “India’s deep-tech investment has reached an important scale,
with around USD 1.5 billion invested this year. India’s deep tech moment is here. The ambition, the
intelligence, it’s all there. The question is how we put the jigsaw together.”
Drawing a comparison with China’s earlier deep-tech growth cycle, he said, ‘India now has the
opportunity to build similar long-term momentum over the next decade.’
Highlighting the need for stronger ecosystem linkages, Pankaj said that ‘India has the
entrepreneurial ambition, academic strength and investor interest required to build globally relevant
deep-tech companies’. However, he emphasised that the next phase will depend on how effectively
these different parts of the ecosystem are brought together.
He added, “We are seeing different parts of the puzzle: entrepreneurs and the passion they bring;
academia and the excellence it provides; and corporates or VCs who are looking for the next big idea.
The question is how we put this jigsaw puzzle together so the picture becomes complete. If we create
stronger bridges between academia, corporates, entrepreneurs and capital providers, we will see
magic happening.”
Pankaj also noted that the industry has an important role to play in taking real-world problem
statements to academic institutions. He said that startups, investors, and larger companies should
work more closely with students and faculty so that research can be aligned with market needs and
commercial opportunities.
Bharat Innovates 2026 underlined a clear shift in India’s startup narrative: Indian innovation is no
longer being viewed only through the lens of domestic digital adoption but through its ability to
solve complex global problems and build globally relevant technology companies. For deep-tech
startups, this requires not only capital but also patient investors, research-to-market support,
enterprise partnerships, governance maturity and access to international customers.
Pankaj Makkar’s participation at Bharat Innovates 2026 reflects Bertelsmann India Investments’
continued engagement with India’s startup ecosystem and its focus on supporting ambitious
founders building scalable, technology-led businesses. As an early-growth investor, BII continues to
back companies with strong fundamentals, long-term market potential and the ability to build
category leadership over time.
About Bertelsmann India Investments:
Founded in 2012, Bertelsmann India Investments (BII) is a sector-agnostic venture capital fund
backing India’s next generation of transformative business leaders. BII focuses on early growth
stage startups (Series A to C), combining long-term capital with long-term growth partnership to
help founders scale sustainably. With an AUM of around USD 1 Bn, its portfolio includes leading
innovators like Shiprocket, Eruditus, Licious, Nat Habit, LetsTransport, and Orange Health Labs. As
the India investment arm of Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA, BII leverages the strength of Bertelsmann
Investments (BI) – one of the world’s largest VC ecosystems with more than €2 billion invested
across 350+ companies globally.
